THE COLLAPSE OF CHARACTER - PART 4

COVETOUS

When Desire Replaces Contentment

“…for men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous…” 2 Timothy 3:2 

Having exposed the inward turn of the heart, Paul now reveals its inevitable companion. Where self-love rules, covetousness follows. The two are inseparable. A heart centred on self will never be satisfied, because self was never meant to be its own source of fulfilment. What begins as affection for self quickly becomes appetite for more.

The word covetous speaks of an insatiable craving—an aggressive desire to possess, accumulate, and secure. It is not limited to money, though money often becomes its most visible expression. Covetousness is the spirit that says, “What I have is not enough, and what God has given me cannot be trusted.” It is discontent that has hardened into pursuit.

Scripture treats covetousness with severe clarity. Paul later tells the Colossians to mortify covetousness, calling it plainly what it is: “which is idolatry” (Colossians 3:5). That word removes all ambiguity. Covetousness is not merely poor character; it is false worship. It replaces trust in God with trust in possession. It exchanges dependence on the Lord for dependence on accumulation.

Jesus warned repeatedly against this danger. “Take heed, and beware of covetousness,” He said, “for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth” (Luke 12:15). Yet the last days are marked by the opposite belief—that life does consist in abundance, in upgrades, in more. The measure of success becomes acquisition rather than obedience.

The writer of Hebrews cuts directly to the heart when he says, “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have” (Hebrews 13:5). Contentment is not natural to fallen man; it is cultivated through faith. Covetousness thrives where trust in God has thinned.

Charles Spurgeon once observed that prosperity often does more damage to the soul than adversity. He warned that when believers begin to measure God’s goodness by material gain, they will soon excuse any compromise that promises increase. The danger is not wealth itself, but the love of it—a truth Paul made unmistakable when he wrote, “For the love of money is the root of all evil” (1 Timothy 6:10).

History bears this out with sobering consistency. Civilisations rarely fall because they lack resources; they fall because they can no longer restrain desire. Winston Churchill warned that greed disguised as progress would hollow nations from within. When appetite replaces principle, no amount of possession produces security.

Our own age reflects this with painful clarity. Never has abundance been greater, yet contentment rarer. Advertising is built entirely upon dissatisfaction. Debt is normalised. Gratitude is eclipsed by entitlement. Even relationships are treated transactionally—valued for what they provide rather than what they require in sacrifice. Covetousness has moved from being a vice to being a virtue.

This spirit does not spare the church. Ministry can be measured by numbers rather than faithfulness. Giving can be motivated by return rather than obedience. Prayer can quietly shift from submission to negotiation. James warned believers with piercing words: “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts”(James 4:3). Covetousness knows how to pray, but it does not know how to trust.

At its core, covetousness declares that God is either unwilling or unable to provide what is truly needed. It replaces “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1) with restless striving and endless comparison. It looks at what others have and concludes that God has been unfair.

For the believer living in perilous times, this demands honest self-examination. Covetousness is not always loud. Often it dresses itself in ambition, prudence, or necessity. It rarely says, “I want more.” It says, “I deserve more.” And once that thought is entertained, gratitude quietly dies.

Paul places covetousness immediately after self-love because it is self-love in motion. It is desire ungoverned by trust. It is appetite unrestrained by faith. And once desire rules, restraint becomes offensive.

The last days are not marked by empty hands, but by restless hearts.

And a restless heart will soon boast of what it has gained.